Four recent helicopter cancellations.
Below is the Robinson R22 Beta ZK-HGV3 (c/n 3735) - first registered on 13-10-2005 and delivered to NZPP on the 22nd to Rick Lucas Helicopters Ltd (Helipro). It was destroyed in a mid air collision with the Cessna 152 ZK-ETY in the Paraparaumu circuit on 16-02-2008. Its registration has now been cancelled.

Exported is the Hughes 369HS ZK-HQE (c/n 114-0662S). A product of 1974 and listed in the US as N9225F before it came to NZ and registered on 20-02-1980 as ZK-HQE to Westland Frozen Products. Up until 1998 it worked for various operators in the south until it briefly joined Helicopters Hawkes Bay Ltd of Havelock North. It moved to Heli Sika on 09-03-1998 and then back to H/C Hawkes Bay on 27-03-2001 until flicked over to Central Helicopters of Opotiki on 23-04-2001. Photo above was shot at Taupo on 09-02-2007.

Above is a view of Kawasaki Hughes 369HS ZK-HQH2 (c/n 6645) at Kaikoura on 29-06-2004 with Tekapo Helicopter script (filling in for Kaikoura's JetRanger). A 1978 model built as JA9187 it was listed to Wing & Rotor Ltd as ZK-HQH on 11-06-1996. It worked at Mt Potts Station before joining James Scott on The Coast in December of 1996. In mid December of 2008 it moved to Wai Helicopters.It was registered to H.A.S. Pty Ltd in NSW on 20-07-2010 and has now finally been cancelled.

Kawasaki Hughes 369HS ZK-IUS (c/n 6631) was built in Japan as JA9131 in 1974. It was damaged on 23-08-2000 and imported into NZ for a remake and came out as ZK-HSE3 thanks to Wing & Rotor Aviation Ltd of South Auckland. In March of 2008 it was obtained by Kiwi Kopters Tauranga Ltd and was re-registered as ZK-IUS on 06-05-2008. As seen above in this photo from Keith Morris ; it was painted up to represent "Miss Clawd IV" (US military s/n 68-17340).
More details on this can be found on an earlier blog at:-

On 03-11-2010 ZK-IUS was listed to H.A.S. Pty Ltd in New South Wales and was cancelled from the NZ register on 01-07-11. (I wonder if both of these Kawasaki built H.A.S. machines have gone Tuna fishing ?)

A bit of a stranger in town on 26-07-2011 was the Wanaka based Robinson R44 Raven 11 ZK-HXM3 (c/n 10637). Infinity Heliline Ltd became the listed operator from 11-06-2011.

Helipro have been actively advertising over City flights to view the damage. Part of a fund raising campaign I believe. Seen hee on 28-07-2011 is Aerospatiale AS350BA ZK-HYW2 (c/n 14200 landing back from another mission. A touch of altocumulus lenticularus visible in the distance in the northwesterly flow aloft. Well done Helipro.

Thursday, 28 July 2011

Pacific Aerospace Cresco ZK-PDZ2 (c/n 003) i believe had initial aspirations of becoming ZK-FAH but instead was first registered as ZK-LTR on 25-01-2000 with Wanganui Aero Work Ltd. First flight was on 14-02-2000 and delivery occured on 17-02-2000.
On 20-11-2000 it was re-registered as ZK-PDZ to Parachute Adventures Queenstown Ltd. At this stage it was still powered with a Lycoming LTP101 engine. this was changed to a P&WC PT6-34AG in 2007. Other changes at some point were the fuseleage windows. On 24-07-2008 it was relisted to Skydive Queenstown Ltd.
Top pic was taken at Jardines Strip (near Queenstown) on 26-09-2004.
Lower photo taken at Dunedin on 09-09-2005.

ZK-PDZ was flown from Hamilton to Norfolk Island and Lord Howe island on 14-07-2011 and then on to Coolangatta and Armidale on 15-07-2011. It was cancelled from the Kiwi register on 15-07-2011 and became VH-PUS on 21-07-2011 with Lonoaks Pty Ltd of Armidale.
************************************************

Also trundling offshore was the Boeing 737-476 ZK-JTR (c/n 24439). This first flew back on 03-04-1992 as VH-TJN and served with Australian Airlines until switching to Qantas Airways Ltd on 31-10-1992. This in turn was cancelled om 31-05-2007 when it became ZK-JTR and flew from Melbourne to Auckland for Jetconnect Ltd (Qantas NZ). It flew its first dervice the following day running from Auckland to Wellington. It final revenue flight was on 24-03-2011 from Auckland to brisbane and return. It ferried out from Auckland to Brisbane and Cairns on 20-06-2011 and then on to Jakarta on the 21st. Above pic taken at Wellington on 17-08-2010.

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

De Havilland DH82A Tiger Moth ZK-CDU (c/n 3581) was finally cancelled from the NZ Civil Aircraft Register on 25-07-2011. It was built for the Royal Air Force and issued the serial L6926. After a period on the UK civil register as G-ALAD it came to NZ and was registere as ZK-BAW on 18-11-1952. After some three years of Ag work it was withdrawn from use. Its major components went to Charlie Liddell in 1956 and cancelled in July if 1960. It was rebuilt and re-registered as ZK-CDU on 26-11-1963. By September of 1998 it was with the Upton Family Trust who delivered it to the care of the Ashburton Aviation Museum Society Inc, with it arriving at Ashburton on 08-06-2002.

Top photo taken at Ashburton on 12-02-2005 and lower view was shot on 02-07-2011.

A close look at both photos shows the registration visible on the fuselage side.

Monday, 25 July 2011

This shot shows the Aerospool Dynamic WT9 ZK-DVM (c/n DY408/2011) being assembled in the Drake Aviation hangar back on 24-06-2011.
Tucked away behind the Cessna 185 I needed three overlap shots to capture the complete aircraft
The view above is constructed from these three overlaps. Results satisfactory for me - maybe a bend in the fuselage, but certainly better than no record at all.
The aircraft goes to Stephen and Phoebe Field of Cheviot.Sorry about bending your aeroplane Bruce.

Saturday, 23 July 2011

When - Men were men and flew real round engined aeroplanes.
De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver 1 ZK-CPE (c/n 1603) whilst in the hands of Airwork (NZ) Ltd between May of 1974 and 1980.
Photo from ZK-CMM.

Thursday, 21 July 2011

Polikarpov I-16 (tip 24) no 2421014 was built in 1940 at zavod (state aircraft plant) 21 in Gor'ky (Nizhny Novgorod).

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, its remains were discovered near Lake Yaglyayarvi (Ягляярви or,inFinnish, Ägläjärvi), Republic of Karelia, in July 1991.

The wreck was one of six remanufactured by Sir Tim Wallis and his Alpine Fighter Collection at plant no 153 at Novisibirsk.

First flown in 1997, it was crated and arrived at Wanaka in March 1998 having been registered to the AFC as ZK-JIQ on October 9, 1997.

Marked as 'red 4', it was displayed at the 1998 Warbirds over Wanaka show by Mark Hanna with the Cyrillic inscription 'For Valery'.

On November 25, 1998, the registration was cancelled when the aircraft was sold to the USA, and the aircraft was shipped from Wanaka early in 1999.

Registered as N7459 on March 4, 1999, more than a decade later, it remains part of Microsoft co-founder and Vulcan Ventures founder Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection at Snohomish County Airport (Paine Field), Everett, Washington (home of the Boeing wide-bodies). Registered to Vulcan Warbirds, and marked as NX7459, the I-16 flies regularly, as does most of his impressive collection.

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

Seen at Ashburton today (20-07-2011) was the Piper PA28-151 Cherokee Warrior ZK-TGF. It was on its delivery flight from Dunedin to its new home at Parakai by its new owner Vaughn Davis of "The Goat Farm" (hence its new registration letters). Check out www.tgf.co.nz. Also check out http://flytgf.com

Built in 1977 As N9546N with a c/n of 28-7715223 it came direct from the Piper factory at Vero Beach in Florida to Airwork (NZ) Ltd to be registered as ZK-EBW1 on 10-02-1977 for delivery to the Bay of Islands Aero Club. It then passed through a series of owners:-
G M White of Auckland from 24-11-1987.
M G Young of Remuera 20-11-1989.
Paraparaumu Flight Training Ltd of Paraparaumu 04-06-1991.
Vertical Aviation Ltd, North Shore 14-07-1993 and re-registered as ZK-MAI2 on this same date.To Ardmore Flying School Ltd, Ardmore 08-10-1993 with whom it was re-registered as ZK-ZEE on 19-11-1998.
It returned to the Bay of Island Aero Club at Kerikeri from 01-03-2001.
To the Northland Coastguard Air Patrol at Kerikeri on 01-01-2005 and re,re-registered as ZK-CGD3 on 31-01-2005.
It was re-registered yet again on 12-09-2007 as ZK-RJM and listed to Willow Air (NZ) Ltd of Milton, South Otago from 30-09-2007. These registration letters being family initials.
From 01-01-2009 through to 21-05-2009 it was operated by Southern Alps Air Ltd of Wanaka and then returned to Willow Air at Balclutha.
The aircraft is to be based at Parakai and is available for hire etc.

Tied down on the Western grass, outside the Canterbury Aero Club, today was this Cessna 182B Skylane ZK-BHP2 (c/n 52323). Created in 1959 as N8423T, it went to Australia in 1966 and became VH-BHP. It ferried acros the Ditch from Lord Howe to Norfolk Islands on 11-09-2006; and on to Auckland on the 12th. It became ZK-BHP2 on 10-11-2006 for Hugh Hamish Ross of Hastings.

Caught in the harsh low level light of a lovely winters morn.
Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-KBN (c/n 176) stopped in at Christchurch briefly for fuel before heading off down to Lilybank/Tekapo for the day.

Monday, 18 July 2011

Another gem of a winter's day greeted aviators keen to blow out the cobwebs not blown away by the storm/s that have swept the country.
Yesterday I blogged about the contrast in traffic types at Ardmore with the circuit mixed from home builts to a bizjet. Today it was rattling to the sound of its resident Strikemaster while in the grass circuit was a Piper Cub, talk about one extreme to the other!

Cub BTU keep your speed up number one!

One smart machine, Tecnam P2008 ZK-JAX

Alpi ZK-LPA departed for its Whangarei home.

ZK-MDO carries out circuits on the seal

North Shore resident Beech A36 ZK-NAZ arrives at Ardmore

ZK-STR spent 30 or so minutes out of the circuit to the south before returning for touch and goes

Unfortunately backlight prevented a nice, clear image but there has been the addition of a crest to the engine cowl with an anchor in the middle presumably indicating the helo will be housed on a floating palace.

Pacific Aerospace 750XL ZK-KBD (169) will be arriving at Norfolk Island around the time this post is made from Hamilton. This example was first registered in September 2010 and photographed at Ardmore 23 November 2010.

Sunday, 17 July 2011

From the slow-ish to fast-ish, the Ardmore circuit can sometimes be complicated with a wide range of aircraft performance limitations and today within the space of 15 minutes the airspace was graced with an Airtrainer, Airtourer, Citabria, Piper Pacer, numuerous C172's, Grumman AA1's, a real P51 Mustang and then the home built Midget Mustang ZK-AKL at the slower end of the scale and Citation 501 ZK-NDT at the faster end, the latter returning from a trip to Dunedin.

The NZCAA register transactions earlier this month were to me at least a little confusing however seeing the latest version of ZK-HOP solved my problem!

On 07 July Bell 206B Jetranger ZK-HOP/2 underwent an identity change to ZK-IJS/2 and to facilitate this ZK-IJS/1 took up the markings ZK-HQF. ZK-HQF was in turn cancelled once ZK-HOP/2 was re-registered and became ZK-HOP/3. So I don't actually think the marks ZK-HQF were probably ever worn!